Ch 30: The Riverhouse

Sookie

I turned one of the stones over in my hand. I was sitting on the couch across from Gran and Pam while we waited for Eric to finish talking to Nora outside. Pam and Nora arrived about fifteen minutes after Gran did.

Nora scared me. She was hysterical and screaming when they arrived, her hair was a mess, her clothes ripped up. She literally looked like she had been dragged by a rope through the streets. Plus, I remember from the show that she was into that Sanguinista stuff, a sleeper agent within the Authority with her lover Salome. I really didn’t know a lot about it, but what I did know was that she had tried desperately in the show to convert Eric into the faction, and ended up dying before much more could happen. So there wasn’t a lot I knew about her, or how fanatical she was. I took comfort in the fact that Eric couldn’t be converted. He adhered to Godric’s teachings, even in the face of the true death.

From what I remember from Ass hat’s (Bill’s) little dabble into the Sanguinista on the show, after he had drank Lilith’s blood, was that they weren’t very kind to humans. I shuddered thinking about all those humans he had kept in cages. Bill was a fucking ass wipe. I can’t believe the half of me from this world ever fell for him. Bill only cared about himself. He was selfish and as far as I was concerned he was the scum of the Earth. I was more convinced than ever that the only reason that half of me was so enamored with Bill was because he was somehow controlling me with his blood.

When did I start to think of True Blood Sookie as me? She was half of me, half of my soul, even if I didn’t possess her memories. I almost felt like I had amnesia, sort of. I guess the lifetime of memories could only be integrated from one of us, and those memories came from the half of me from the non-magical world, the one where True Blood was merely thought of as a fictional TV show.

I really wish I knew how all this was possible. I still had so many questions. I was pretty convinced that the True Blood world was the original world, and that somehow the other world where all my fellow fangirls were probably currently reading fanfics about Eric Northman and Godric was the one created somehow, created from some sort of magic. But how? If True Blood world was duplicated or copied or however you want to put it, why were there no vampires in the other world? It just didn’t make sense. I hoped I would have the answers soon.

Sometimes a tiny little part of me still wished that I was back in the other world, oblivious to all the dangers I now faced. Only a tiny little part of me, mostly I was happy to have met Eric and Godric, but damn it I need a break sometimes. It has been non stop drama since I arrived here. What I wouldn’t give to just sit down at my computer, open my e-mail and squee that my favorite fanfic was updated. I could get lost in Northman’s Nanny right about now, or Into the Mystic, or In the Shadow of the Oak. I wondered if those authors were still writing about me, and Eric, and Godric. I snickered and looked up at the ceiling lost in deep thoughts. The fans are all completely oblivious to what is happening right now, completely unaware to how much I have changed events in the True Blood universe. If only they knew. Would they be happier how things have turned out? Would they hate me because now Godric was a captive of Edgington? Apparently going through some sort of torture that I can’t even begin to imagine.

I felt tears sting the corners of my eyes, and I looked down at the stone in my hand trying to concentrate and focus, trying to be strong. There was no room for weakness. I had to be hard. I had to be strong.

That’s when I noticed it, as I looked at the stone. It was so tiny I could barely see it. On the bottom of the stone was etched a golden letter. I lifted the stone up in the light so I could get a better look.

“What is it?” Pam asked across from me.

“There’s a letter on the stone. I didn’t notice it before.” I squinted my eyes and wiped the tears away with the back of my hand. “It looks like a ‘B.’”

I handed the stone to Pam so she could see.

“Gran, can I see the other stone?”

“Certainly, dear,” she said handing it to me. She looked at me curiously as I raised the second stone up and looked at it. “Is it on that stone too?”

“No, this one has the letter ‘N’ on it.” I said. I looked at Pam who was now staring at me. “What could it mean?”

“I do not know. Perhaps it is a code to unlocking the power of the stones,” she offered. “Do you know what was on the third stone that was destroyed?”

“No,” I shook my head. “I only just now noticed the letters for the first time.”

“The third stone is in a million pieces. There is no possible way to find out what was on it.”

I sighed heavily. This was the second clue I had gotten that could be an indicator to the origin of the stones but I was no closer to figuring out this mystery. Godric had mentioned back in the other world when we were in Alan Nut’s office that the case they came in looked fae in origin. He said he saw a painting centuries ago with fae objects in it that looked similar. That was the first clue, but Claudine had no idea what they were, and I don’t think she would lie to me.

I filed away this information for now. I needed to tell Pam and Gran about the plan. Eric didn’t have a chance to talk to Pam when they arrived because Nora was so out of her mind. He has been outside with her for twenty minutes, but we needed to leave. The longer we stayed here the more danger we were in.

“Pam,” I said to her as she handed the stone back to me. “I know we haven’t really had a chance to talk yet. So much has been happening, and I know you really don’t know me or have any reason to trust me.

She waved her hand in the air. “You are my maker’s bonded. He trusts you with his life, therefore I trust you with mine.”

I raised my eyebrow. This Pam wasn’t what I was expecting. She seemed so angry in the show and hated Sookie. I wondered if that came from Sookie blowing Eric off all the time for Bill. “I guess that sort of makes me your step mom.” I said with a half hearted giggle that faded away very quickly when I saw her face.

“Though, I am grateful to you Sookie that you somehow convinced my grandsire not to meet the sun, and I am grateful to you that you seem to make Eric happy, I would not push it.” She said with a serious face. Then her lip quivered into a small smile.

“Right,” I mumbled clearing my throat. “Basically this is the plan. We are going to make our way to the river house. Once we arrive there, Eric is going to call Edgington and offer to trade the stones for Godric. Edgington seems really dead set on getting his hands on these.”

She seemed to be in thought as I told her this. Finally, after a few seconds she began to speak. “When we were in the basement, Edgington told Godric that he wants the stone. Singular noun. I do not believe he is aware that there are two. Perhaps Eric should only offer one, and if Edgington has knowledge of both he will demand both. If he does not he will accept only one stone for the trade.”

“Good idea. But which stone do we give him? ‘N’ or ‘B.’”

“I can’t answer that.” Pam said.

“Are both stones equally burnt out?” Gran asked.

“As far as I know, yes.” I held one in each hand as if weighing them would give me more answers. “They seem to be identical, except for the letter.”

“Then as you humans say, flip a coin.” Pam smiled, seeming proud of herself for her human lingo.

“Sookie, dear,” Gran piped up with a concerned expression. “After this Edgington fellow agrees to the trade – then what?”

“We will all go and make the trade with him, except you Gran. You’ll stay back at the safe house.”

Gran started shaking her head. “I don’t like this at all, Sookie. I think you should let the vampires go and stay back with me. They’re faster and stronger. You could get hurt.”

“But Gran, my fae magic could help. We are going to need every bit of help we can get if something goes wrong.”

“Have you tried to contact Claudine?”

“Who’s Claudine?” Pam asked.

“She’s my fairy godmother. And no, I can’t contact her right now. She’s out of touch for about a week. Apparently on fae business back in the fairy world. She’s unreachable.”

“I believe Sookie could be of help.” Pam said. “As she said, we are going to need all the help we can get against Edgington and Angur.”

“Do you know what Angur looks like?” I asked Pam.

“Eric nor I have any idea how such a resurrection is possible from Godric’s blood. We have never heard of such a resurrection before, but there are many things in this world that still remain a mystery, even to a 1000 year old vampire. In a normal resurrection from the vampires own blood they look like themselves. Their body is completely manifested from thin air basically. But Edgington told Godric in the basement that the resurrection from his blood is possible with a host. I do not believe they used Godric as a host, because Eric said the maker tie was being re-connected.”

“What about the curse reversal you mentioned that Claudine taught you?” Gran asked.

“Yea, I could probably blast the host and reverse it, but if I don’t know who the host is then I don’t know who to blast. I wish I knew more about it. I hate not knowing.”

“We will figure it out. Godric has been in much worse situations than this. He is still alive.” Pam told me.

“Worse than this?” I said, my face flushed with pain and worry.

“I’m sure once we rescue him,” she said trying to reassure me. “He will tell you all about his life.”

I smiled at her. I was still in shock that Pam was being nice to me and trying to reassure me. I felt like we could really be friends. I turned to Gran. “Gran, did you stop at the store and pick up the chocolates I asked for?”

“Oh yes dear. I have them right here.” She reached in her purse and pulled out a bag of m & m’s.

I tore the bag open and began absentmindedly eating them. I leaned back on the couch, deep in thought. We had so much to do, and so little time. I wished Eric would hurry up with his sister. We needed to get going.

Eric

“Is it true? Pam said he’s alive!!” Nora screamed wildly, pacing back and forth in front of me in the driveway. She was tugging at her hair which looked like it had been half ripped out. I had never seen my sister in such a state before.

“Sister, calm yourself.” I said walking up to her and putting my arms around her. I wanted to make her pain go away. “All is well. We are going to go rescue him in Mississippi. I have a safe house where we can stay on the river.”

She stepped back away from me and tears began to flow down her face. “He probably does not even want me there! He hates me Eric!”

“No, Nora,” I said softly. “Our maker does not hate you. He just hates the choices you made.”

She stepped back up to me and put her hands around my neck. “Do you hate me, brother?”

“You know I do not.” I put my hands on her wrists and removed them from my neck. I felt uncomfortable now that I had a bonded. Nora and I had a very sexual relationship in the past and I do not know how she will react to this new information.

Her brow scrunched up. “You reject my touch? Since when do you reject the touch of a woman? Your own sister for that matter? You have changed Eric.”

I looked at her straight in the eyes. “Sookie, I love her.”

“What is a Sookie?” she gasped. “I smell human on you, and some delicious foreign scent.”

“Sookie is my bonded. I am bound to her as she is to me. And so is Godric.”

“A tri-mating? With a human?” She said shocked.

“Yes.”

“Is she your pet? I don’t understand.”

“No, Nora,” I sighed. “You know that Godric and I have never kept pets. She is our bonded. We share equality with her. As I said we love her.”

Nora smiled and I sighed in relief. My sister was happy for me! But that feeling was soon corrected as I watched her saunter up to me seductively. “Would you be willing to let me have a go at her?” She said running her hand up my chest.

I grabbed her hand roughly and tossed it away. My fangs snapped out and I growled. “I told you! She is my bonded! What is wrong with you? Have you become so jaded with the Sanguinista’s that you no longer understand the meaning of this?” I hissed.

“She is a human Eric! A very good smelling human! She’ll be dead in fifty years. That is a blink of the eye to us. I am your sister. I am eternal! I am Godric’s child for fucks sake and he will not even speak to me.”

I stepped toward her hissing with fangs fully extended, a look of pure rage on my face. Nora does not know that Sookie is part fae, nor that she will live thousands of years, and I was not going to divulge this information to her. It is true she is my sister, but she is also wrapped up in the Sanguinista’s and my trust with her only went so far. My protective nature of Sookie, however, that ran deep.

“All you need to know is she is our bonded, and you will give her the same respect you would give another in our blood-line. If you wish to return to Godric’s good graces you will adhere to my words!”

She dropped her head. “I’m sorry Eric. It’s just that I’m so emotional right now. You know I was never good at suppressing my emotions like you and Godric are. I’ve gone the last 24 hours thinking my maker met the true death. I’m just… I’m just in a state of shock right now. And I’m happy beyond words to find out that he is alive. Please forgive me Eric.” She folded her hands nervously in front of her.

“Hey,” I said walking up to her. Nora was a strong woman, she always had been, but it was true what she said, she did have trouble suppressing her emotions. Only Godric and I knew of this. A vampire would never reveal a weakness to anyone outside their blood-line. “I understand, sister. All will be well. We will go rescue Godric, you will return to his good graces, and you will leave this Sanguinista bull shit behind you.”

“Leave it?” She said looking up at me wide-eyed.

“Yes, Nora. It is time you came home to your blood-line. Godric worries about you. He asks me about you often.”

“Does he really, Eric?”

I nodded. “Of course. You know that he loves you. Now come inside. I would like to introduce you to Sookie. And we must leave soon. Every moment we stay here we are in danger. I do not know how long it will take for the maker-tie to be reconnected with Godric and Angur. It could be hours, it could be nights.”

Godric

I tried. Oh I tried. But I could not prevent my self from yelling out in pain. I tried to focus my mind on Sookie. I had seen her! She now knew I was alive. I hoped that I conveyed the message to her properly that her and Eric needed to find a safer place that I did not know about. My mind was so foggy from the pain. One minute I thought I was home with Sookie and Eric then the pain would rack my body and I would remember where I was. I prepared myself for the true death. I was not sure I would survive this torture.

I was faintly aware of Angur laughing every time I screamed out in pain. I now lay on the floor of the basement, unable to move, completely immobilized from the pain. I was completely nude and undignified to the world. I had never felt so weak in my life, not even when I had been cursed with a poisoning hex from the witch under Edgington’s glamour.

I almost wished for it to be over. I almost wished that the true death would descend upon me and release me from this agony. But then I would remember Sookie and Eric and I would clench my teeth and bear the pain. I must be strong.

Blood tears ran down my face as I lolled my head from side to side. “We shall be re-united,” I whispered. “I shall see you again, my love.”

I held onto the light. The hope. The one vestige of peace and goodness in my crippled and hungry heart. My bonded, oh my Sookie. How I longed for her. My child, my Eric, how I wished to see his smiling eyes once again. 1000 years and he has not lost his passion for life. My Viking loved life. My Sookie was good and pure.

I reached toward the ceiling with my hand, my arm felt like it held the weight of the world, trying to push it back to the floor. But I reached. I imaged them reaching down for me, looking at me with loving eyes.

2000 years and I had never felt so full of love. Yes, I always loved Eric but there was always something missing in my life. I now knew that missing piece of the puzzle was Sookie. Now that I had her, I feared I would go from this world and leave her to mourn my death a second time. Perhaps it would have been better if I had let her believe I was not real, that I was some random dream Godric.

I bellowed out in torturous anguish as another bolt of pain streaked through my body. It was like the fire of a thousand suns boiling my blood, turning my brain to mush. I was sweating blood out of every pore in my body. I did not think it possible for a vampire to sweat.

I closed my eyes attempting to put myself back into a meditative state. I had never felt so desperate. Sookie and Eric’s names fell from my lips in a chant. Yes, I will see you both again! This I vow.

Sookie

I was sitting in the backseat of Pam’s minivan. It was a bench seat and I was between Pam and Nora. Eric was driving and Gran was in the front passenger seat.

I was relieved that Nora seemed very nice and pleasant to me. She had been making small talk as we drove.

“Are you sure that is a good idea for you to come along, Sookie?” she asked.

“I can help with my fae powers. We’re going to need all the help we can get.” I said.

I noticed Eric looked at me in the rearview mirror when I spoke to Nora. He seemed to be giving me a look of warning but I didn’t understand why he was so wary. Isn’t Nora on our side? Isn’t she here to help save Godric? She seemed a bit hysterical at first but that was only because she thought her maker was dead. That was understandable.

“Fae?” She said looking at me.

“Oh, well,” I said glancing up at Eric’s eyes which were searing me to the bone in the mirror. “Oh yes that, well that’s nothing really.”

“What is a fae?” Nora asked.

“Do not worry about it.” Eric said from the drivers seat.

“You mean a fairy?” Nora continued. “Oh my god. You are a fairy?”

“I said drop it.” Eric growled.

I looked over at Nora who was now licking her lips. Her fangs were completely out. Next thing I knew the minivan was being pulled over and Eric was beside Nora’s door pulling it open and yanking her out of the seat.

The door slammed shut and I watched out of the window as Eric screamed at her, his finger in her face.

“That is not wise to tell just anyone about your fairy heritage.” Pam said watching the confrontation.

“I didn’t think… I didn’t think it was a big deal. She’s part of y’alls blood-line. I thought you trusted those in your blood-line.”

“Yes, in most circumstances. But this is not always the case. Edgington, Angur, and Nut are also in our blood-line.”

I exhaled a big breath of air. Of course. I am an idiot. “What do we do?”

“There is not much we can do now. She now knows you are a fairy. Do you know anything about the Sanguinista’s?”

“A little. I know Nora was supposedly a part of it. But I don’t know much other than they hate humans and just want to eat em.”

“Well they hate fairies even worse. They worship darkness. You Sookie represent light. They believe all fairies should be destroyed. The Sanguinista’s are the reason your kind were nearly destroyed. The reason they sealed themselves off from this world and disappeared from Earth.”

“Shit.”

“Shit indeed,” she echoed.

“I thought they left because vampires hunted them and couldn’t resist them.”

“True. That did occur often. But more often than not a fairy would mate with a vampire in the nights of old. The light of a fairy is the perfect balance to the darkness of a vampire. It was the Sanguinista’s who actively sought and destroyed them.”

“How do you know all of this?”

“My grandsire gave me lessons when I was a newborn. I admit I do not know near as much as Eric, and he does not know near as much as Godric. But I know enough to know to steer clear of the Sanguinista faction. It is a passionate subject for Godric. He was a leader in that movement long before Eric was turned. He was very devout.”

“And now?”

“And now he is regretful for his choices when he was young.”

“We all make mistakes.” I said.

“Yes, everyone is entitled to forgiveness.” Gran said looking back at us from the passenger seat. She had been listening to our conversation.

“Even if the mistakes are killing tens of thousands of your kind in a blood drunken rage?” Pam said.

“Why are you telling me this?” I said angrily.

“You need to know about Godric’s demons. He should have told you this before he asked you to be his bonded. He probably thought you would not accept him if he did. I do not tell you this to change your opinion of him. But you will know of his past sooner or later. I would rather it be sooner so you can decide now if your bond and love for him is strong enough to forgive him.”

“It is.” I said angrily. “I do forgive him.”

“Good.”

Gran’s door opened and Eric was standing beside her. “Adele, my apologies but Nora will need to sit in the front seat for the remainder of the trip. I ask that you join Sookie and Pamela in the back seat.”

“Of course dear,” Gran said getting out of the minivan. Eric held his hand out to her and helped her step down. He opened the backdoor and she was soon in the seat beside me.

“Sookie, I apologize.” Nora said getting into the passenger seat. “I did not mean to disrespect my maker and my brother’s bonded. You are family.”

Eric hissed and slammed the door shut making Nora jump.

“Don’t mention it.” I said to Nora. She looked back at me and smiled.

“You can trust me, Sookie. I will protect you with my life.” She said before Eric was opening his door and climbing back into the drivers seat.

We rode the rest of the way in silence. I wanted to tell Eric about the letters I had found on the stones but at this point I didn’t know what I should and shouldn’t say in front of Nora. So I decided to wait until we were alone.

It took about four hours to drive from the safe house to the river safe house. When we finally arrived I sighed in relief. The river house was on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi river.

It didn’t look like much from the outside. Just a small cabin. Eric punched in a code at the door like he had to do with the other safe house.

“I will program in a code for all of you. Pam already has one.”

“Why doesn’t Godric know about this place?” I said walking in.

“It is fairly new.” Eric said. “Plus, it is always wise to keep a safe house that your maker or child doesn’t know about. You never know what situation you will be in.”

“Such as your grandsire being resurrected from the dead and taking full control over your 2000 year old maker.” Pam said.

“I guess you guys have thought of everything. Except for the fact that there isn’t room for all of us here. There’s only one bedroom.” I said.

“Oh no, Lover.” Eric said smiling like a kid. He walked over to a door that looked like a closet and punched in another code. Opening it I saw that it was stairs that led down. “There are five bedrooms down there, a living area, a kitchen, and several other rooms.”

“Whoa.” I gasped.

“My thoughts exactly.” Gran said.

“The door at the bottom of the stairs requires a code as well.” Eric said taking my hand and leading me down the stairs. “The door down here is a one foot silver door. Not even Godric could break it down. The only part a vampire can touch is the code pad and the door automatically opens. If a vampire doesn’t know the code they aren’t getting in.”

“What if the electricity goes out?” I asked. “You’d be stuck down there.”

“The cabin is powered by wind and solar. It’s completely green and off the grid. But in the event that something did happen, the inside part of the door is plated in steel. I would be able to leave.”

“Yep, definitely thought of everything!” I laughed.

“Pam did you retrieve the provisions I asked you to buy before you picked up Nora from the airport.”

“Yes, they are all in the minivan.”

“Bring them to the kitchen downstairs.” Eric barked. “Sookie, Pam has bought food and hygiene supplies for you and your Gran. Once she brings them in why don’t you two fix yourselves something to eat while I talk to Nora. I have a few things to discuss with her privately.” He glared over at Nora.

“Just be nice,” I whispered.

“I will be nice once she realizes that you are my bonded and remembers what that means,” he hissed.

I pecked him on the cheek and he gave me a crooked smile. I walked over to Gran who was already in the kitchen looking through cabinets. I was so excited I could barely breathe. I knew it was already too close to dawn, and we wouldn’t be able to get Godric back tonight, but he may very well be standing in here with me this time tomorrow. I could hardly contain my anxiousness and excitement. I couldn’t wait for the relief that would soon follow once he was safe with us again.

I am admit, I am like 102% ready for them to all be reunited again, but at the same time I am enjoying the ride there.
I hope Nora can be reformed so to speak. I also hope it doesn’t come to Eric or Godric, or someone having to end Nora because of a threat she poses to Sookie.
I was always disappointed with what they did to her. Totally wasted the character just like they did Godric.
Can’t wait for more!

Enjoying Pam and Sookie in this chapter…I’m looking forward to their friendship…
As for Nora I hope she will see the wrong in her ways…
otherwise Eric and Godric will not let her disrespect their bonded….
Can’t wait to see them all reunited!
jackie69

Loving the interaction between Pam and Sookie. Glad they are getting along. I don’t trust Nora at all and Eric should’ve told Sookie to keep her Fae heritage to herself. Plus Sookie knows a lot from the True Blood tvshow she needs to be thinking and using her head more.
I think the B & N are for Niall Brigant.

My heart is aching for our dear Godric. So much pain to be going through.

Sookie, determined to save Godric, goes to the land of fairies to seek out the ancient knowledge of the Sanguinista resurrection. Meanwhile, back on Earth Eric must use all his centuries of wit and cunning to survive the chaos that is to come.

Sookie tries to use her fae magic to save Godric. But something goes terribly wrong and they are hurtled back in time 2000 years. Learn about Godric’s past and join him as falls in love with the woman who gave him a new beginning.